Consequences
by DoctorH
Summary: This is a follow-up to "Failure Analysis," but it's not a sequel (and it is much shorter). A Physics professor arrives on DS9 and proposes to conduct experiments on the wormhole. The equation that forms the basis for the experiments is so complicated that almost no one can understand the equation... or its consequences. Sisko must decide whether to allow the experiments to proceed.
1. The arrival of USS Prevost

**Consequences**

Introduction: This story is a follow-up to the story by the same author, "Failure Analysis"; but it is not necessary to read the earlier (longer) tale to appreciate the current (much shorter) one.

The current tale includes, it must be admitted, a sizable dose of math and science, some of it legitimate and some of it plain old mumbo-jumbo. It is left to the reader to sort out which is which.

The events occur in the early days of Deep Space Nine, operating as a relatively new Federation starbase. It may be noted that some of the events in this story foreshadow some later stories in the TV series, such as "Doctor Bashir, I Presume."

* * *

Chapter 1: The arrival of USS _Prevost_ and its strange cargo.

"USS _Prevost_ has docked at upper pylon two," announced Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, seated at her station in Ops. "Ensign Carlin is standing by to escort the new personnel to orientation."

Major Kira Nerys nodded. "Notify Commander Sisko of _Prevost_ 's arrival."

Dax touched an indicator on her panel. "I just did. He's got some time. Orientation starts at eleven hundred. That ought to give the new people plenty of time to disembark and get comfortable before Commander Sisko gives them his 'Welcome to DS9' speech. Captain Zachary advises that she will greet Commander Sisko at orientation."

"Fine. Does the _Prevost_ need any maintenance or supplies?"

" _Prevost_ says no." Dax frowned as she checked her panel. "There is a special request regarding cargo, however. Six containers have been marked as exempted from cargo transporters."

"Assign a detail to get those containers off _Prevost_ and towed to storage."

Dax touched her panel. "Detail assigned. _Prevost_ advises that liberal shore leave will begin at eleven hundred."

Kira acknowledged the information with a wave of her hand, then walked over to Dax and looked over her shoulder. "Those six containers: what's in them?"

Dax touched her panel again, and the answer appeared. "Scientific research instruments, Starfleet approved. Certified as containing no hazardous materials or apparatus. No information beyond that."

"Scientific research? _Six_ containers for scientific research? That indicates a rather significant research project, doesn't it? I haven't heard about any major scientific research projects to be conducted at DS9, have you?"

"I haven't. And it's likely Commander Sisko hasn't, either."

"Well, let's get those containers into storage. And, hazardous or not, put a hold on them until we know what sort of scientific research is involved."


	2. A familiar face

Chapter 2: A familiar face.

Miles O'Brien decided to take his mid-day meal on the Promenade. The Promenade was more crowded than usual, and O'Brien attributed the crowd to the starship that had recently docked. O'Brien saw an open seat in Quark's and decided to take it before someone else spotted it.

Quark went over to O'Brien to take his order personally. "Cheese sandwich and ale, Chief?"

"Please. On rye."

"Coming up."

In almost no time at all, Quark had delivered the order to O'Brien's table. O'Brien bit off a hunk of sandwich and marveled at how Quark was able to make his cheese sandwiches so much tastier than those produced by the replicator. O'Brien had once asked Quark how he did it.

"It's a secret recipe," was all Quark would say.

As he enjoyed his sandwich, O'Brien looked over the unfamiliar uniformed Starfleet people who were milling about. DS9 was supposed to be getting some new personnel, and O'Brien wondered whether any of those strangers might be his new technicians.

He took a swig of ale.

And then he nearly spit it out, when he saw someone on the Promenade. Someone he recognized.

O'Brien coughed and took a moment to recover. When he looked again, the person was gone.

He only had a glimpse, but O'Brien was pretty sure that he knew who he had seen.

 _What in the hell is_ he _doing here?_


	3. Sisko uninformed

Chapter 3: Sisko uninformed.

Commander Benjamin Sisko requested a status report as he stepped from the lift into Ops.

Kira's response was to the point and terse. "Everything is going well."

"I see that the _Prevost_ has authorized shore leave for most of her personnel."

"That's right. How was orientation?"

"We have a few new young and eager people who will be joining us. Some of them will be working with us here in Ops."

"I'll be escorting some of them to Ops for an introduction at fifteen hundred," Dax announced.

Sisko nodded in approval. "Fine. Be sure to notify me after you've given them a tour, so that I can talk to them."

"Acknowledged."

As Sisko turned toward his office, Kira spoke. "Commander, there is one matter I wanted to bring to your attention."

Sisko stopped. "Which is?"

"The _Prevost_ offloaded several containers of what are said to be 'scientific research instruments.' Those containers are now in storage. I hadn't heard of any significant scientific research projects that would be going on aboard this station."

Sisko frowned. "We have people doing research here all the time, of course. But as far as I know, no one has requested or ordered any special instruments. How many containers were offloaded?"

"Six. And they were offloaded through space, rather than by cargo transporters."

That seemed odd to Sisko. He stepped away from his office and toward Kira. "Did those containers have the proper authorizations?"

"Yes, they did. And I've confirmed that Deep Space Nine is their true destination."

"I'm going to have to have a talk with Admiral Seth," Sisko intoned calmly. "She apparently approved some sort of new scientific research project, but didn't bother to say a word to me about it. Put a hold on those containers until we know what in the hell is going on."

"I already have put them on hold."

"Good. I'll be in my office."

Sisko entered his office and sat behind his desk. He was musing about how he might raise the issue with Admiral Seth, when he received a message from one of his Starfleet security officers.

"Lieutenant Walker to Commander Sisko."

Sisko sighed. _Why is a security officer calling?_ "Sisko here, Lieutenant."

"Sir, I have someone who wishes to speak with you. He wants to know why his access to his 'scientific instruments' has been blocked, and he wants to brief you about the purpose of his work here."

"Tell him I would be delighted to meet with him in my office, at his earliest convenience. What's his name?"


	4. The business of Professor Nguyen

Chapter 4: The business of Professor Nguyen.

Sisko extended his hand. "Welcome back to Deep Space Nine, Commissioner Nguyen."

Dennis Nguyen shook Sisko's hand. "Thank you, Commander Sisko, nice to see you again." With a gesture, Sisko invited Nguyen to be seated, and both men sat at the same time. "Officially, as of the day after tomorrow, I won't be a commissioner anymore. I'll just be an academy professor."

"Then welcome back to Deep Space Nine, _Professor_ Nguyen."

"Commander, I believe I should make it clear right away that I will not be talking about anything pertaining to the USS _Observer_. That is not why I am here."

"Nice to know. I will advise my people that the _Observer_ is not a proper subject for discussion. As for your current business here, am I to take it that I do not have to activate any security measures in my office to preserve confidentiality, nor do I have to worry about protecting any classified information?"

"My business here is not classified."

"And what is your business here?"

Nguyen produced a personal access display device and handed it to Sisko, who leaned forward to take it. Nguyen pointed at the PADD. "This is why I am here."

Sisko looked at the PADD. Displayed was an official memo that bore the subject line, "Bajor Wormhole Multi-Variable Baseline Establishment." Sisko read the subject line three times, but it told him nothing. The body of the memo itself likewise was uninformative, since Sisko had almost no idea what the memo was talking about. Sisko was able to gather that there was something called "Vuldt's Equation," and that Professor Nguyen wished to test the properties of the wormhole, to see how those measurements jibed with this Vuldt's Equation, whatever it was. Beyond that, most of the memo was incomprehensible.

The final paragraph of the memo, however, was perhaps the most puzzling of all. Sisko was "requested to extend all courtesies" to Nguyen in his experiments, though the memo recognized that the needs of Deep Space Nine would take priority over Nguyen's experiments. Sisko was further "authorized to prevent or terminate any experiments that may do any harm to Deep Space Nine, or the wormhole, or any life forms in or near the wormhole."

The wording was odd: Sisko was being "requested," not _ordered_ , to let Nguyen do his tests. Sisko was "authorized to," but not _required_ to, stop Nguyen from doing any tests that might have adverse effects.

Sisko frowned. _What in the hell does that mean?_ He handed the PADD back to Nguyen.

"You want to perform some experiments, then?" Sisko began.

"Yes."

"On the wormhole?"

"Yes."

"The equipment offloaded from _Prevost_ : it is intended for these experiments?"

"Yes; and you're probably wondering why I insisted that it not be moved to storage with cargo transporters. I want to assure you that it is _not_ because of any danger. Rather, my equipment has been very carefully calibrated. A cargo transporter may disturb the calibration, without meaning to."

"I see. I'll remove the hold so that you may have access to your equipment."

"Thanks."

"May I ask about the purpose of your experiments?"

"It's explained in the authorization." Nguyen offered the PADD back to Sisko.

Sisko declined to take the PADD. "Just tell me in your own words. What are these experiments intended to accomplish?"

Nguyen took a moment. "I want to try to develop a better model of the wormhole. In particular, I want to see how well Vuldt's Equation predicts the observed behavior of the wormhole."

Sisko took a deep breath. "I'm not familiar with Vuldt's Equation. Explain it to me."

Nguyen laughed, but his laugh was more out of embarrassment than amusement. "Explain it to you? Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not." Nguyen saw no trace of a smile on Sisko's face.

Nguyen laughed nervously. "Well, all right. Vuldt's Equation is an equation that describes principles of advanced physics and cosmological modelling. Understanding the equation itself requires a very extensive education in mathematics and physics, but basically, the equation describes, well, pretty much everything that exists."

Sisko stroked his chin. "As you know, Professor, there have been a great many scans and readings taken of the wormhole already."

"Yes, I know."

"Am I to understand that all of that data is insufficient for your purposes?"

Nguyen spoke carefully. "The scans and measurements have been very helpful, as far as they go. But they have not thoroughly tested the wormhole properties that Vuldt's Equation predicts."

Sisko took another deep breath. Before Sisko could say anything further, Nguyen interjected: "Starfleet has fully reviewed this research project and has approved it." Nguyen placed the PADD on the desk in front of Sisko, who made no effort to take it. "If you'll check the this authorization, you'll see it was signed by Admiral Seth and Admiral Ross."

"Yes, I saw that."

"Perhaps you'd like to discuss my project with them?"

"I may do that." Sisko took a moment, then pointed to the PADD. "Professor, this document expressly gives me authority to regulate, even prevent, any of your experiments in the event that I judge them as potentially harmful to any life forms, or the wormhole, or this station. I would therefore like to review your proposed experiments and discuss them with people who are more familiar with theoretical physics than am I, before any experiments are conducted."

"Of course, Commander." Nguyen smiled. "It will take my assistants and me about a week to get our instruments ready and draw up a schedule. Will that be enough time for you to review my proposal?"

"It ought to be."


	5. An unhelpful computer

Chapter 5: An unhelpful computer.

Dax sat across the desk from Sisko, her eyes squinting in puzzlement. "Vuldt's Equation? I've never heard of it. I've heard of Vuldt's _Theory_ , though. Is the 'Vuldt' in 'Vuldt's Equation' spelled, V-U-L-D-T?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then my guess," Dax drawled, "is that Vuldt's Equation is a mathematical expression of all or part of Vuldt's Theory."

"Okay; so what is Vuldt's Theory?"

"I don't know much about it, sorry. I know it's a model that relates spacetime, dimension and physical factors. Supposedly the theory encompasses most other physical models being used today."

"So... Vuldt's Theory is a synthesis of principles of physics that are already well-understood?"

Dax shook her head. "I think I'm the wrong person to ask. Miles almost certainly knows more about it than I do. Have you tried getting help from the computer?"

"Yes, I did," Sisko grinned. "But I didn't get very far. The topic is apparently a very, _very_ advanced subject. I found nearly all of the information going over my head."

"Mind if I try?"

"Go ahead."

Dax sat up straight. "Computer: What is Vuldt's Equation?"

The computer responded promptly: "Vuldt's Equation is a proposed mathematical model of the physical behavior of all articles and phenomena in the universe that are tangible or that have tangible effects, in relation to known or defined arguments, which may be arbitrarily selected."

Dax looked at Sisko. Sisko shrugged.

"Computer," Dax continued, "what is the relationship between Vuldt's Equation and Vuldt's Theory?"

"Vuldt's Equation is a mathematical representation of comprehensive multiple parametric principles of Vuldt's Theory; and in particular, those parametric principles that pertain to Vuldt's set of cosmological postulates and the interactions among them."

Sisko grinned again. "Are _you_ any more informed than you were before?"

Dax was not amused, but she did see one silver lining. "It turns out that I guessed right when I said that Vuldt's Equation is a mathematical expression of Vuldt's Theory. Computer: use the wall display to show Vuldt's Equation."

On the wall appeared five sets of incomprehensible mathematical symbols.

The computer explained: "Vuldt's Equation is typically expressed in one of the five forms you see here. All five forms are mathematically equivalent, though some forms are more useful for some purposes than others."

"Computer: is any of these forms of the equation regarded as generally more useful or more popular, or more commonly cited?"

Four versions of the equation vanished from the display, and one version was enlarged to fill the display. The computer narrated: "The form of Vuldt's Equation seen here is the most commonly used form of the equation."

Sisko and Dax looked at the display, then at each other, then at the display again.

"Dax, can you make head or tail of this? I see the equal sign in the middle, but beyond that, I don't know _what_ I'm looking at."

"I'm not sure either, Benjamin. I don't recognize most of these mathematical symbols. Computer: What do the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the equation represent?

"The left-hand side of the equation includes the most commonly used or measured or controlled arguments, as expressed in Pontus form, with an expression for the proper frame. The right-hand side of the equation includes the factors for which measurement or control or both poses the most practical difficulties; and a constant."

Sisko chuckled. "It's all gibberish to me. Here, let me ask one of the questions I put to the computer earlier; you may be surprised by the answer. Computer: What level of education would be necessary in order to understand Vuldt's Equation?"

"The principles expressed in the full forms of Vuldt's Equation typically require advanced study in Mathematics, Classical Physics, Relativity, Principles of Measurement, Advanced Statistics, System Modelling, Instrumentation, Sub-Dimensional Physics, Pan-Dimensional Physics, Quantum Physics, and Theoretical Physics, as well as various supportive Sciences. In the present available educational systems and academies, such studies typically take eight to ten years."

Sisko looked at Dax. Dax's eyes were wide. Sisko then asked the computer, "Computer: How many people are there who understand Vuldt's Equation?"

"Data insufficient. At a recent meeting of Theoretical Physicists at the Daystrom Institute, however, Doctor Graw Armcoll opined that there are probably no more than fifty individuals in the known galaxy that can discuss Vuldt's Equation intelligently."

Sisko and Dax sat silent for a moment. Then Sisko spoke. "And I was hoping to get a rudimentary grasp of the subject within the space of a week."


	6. The mysteries of the equation

Chapter 6: The mysteries of the equation.

"Chief?" Sisko called, as Dax exited Sisko's office and headed toward her post in Ops. "If you have a moment, could you and I discuss something in my office?"

O'Brien was sitting at his post in Ops. He summoned his relief and walked to Sisko's office. On the way, Dax passed him with a wry smile.

O'Brien knew that smile. He wondered what he was in for.

Sisko gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Chief, have a seat. We need to talk."

"Sir," O'Brien hedged as he and Sisko sat, "does our discussion have anything to do with the visit of Commissioner Nguyen to this station? I saw the Commissioner on the Promenade earlier today."

"As a matter of fact, it does."

O'Brien dreaded asking: "His presence here: it's not related to the USS _Observer_ , is it?"

"No. It's not."

O'Brien breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried. I really wanted to put those events behind me."

"Chief, Commissioner Nguyen is _Professor_ Nguyen now. And he's here to study the wormhole."

"Oh?"

"He wants to perform some experiments to see whether the wormhole's observed behavior is what would be predicted by something called Vuldt's Equation. Have you ever heard of Vuldt's Equation?"

"I've _heard_ of it. I've never had much reason to _use_ it. It's too damn complicated, for one thing; and for the work I do, most of the numbers in the equation would be negligible, so doing all of the computations of that equation would not be worthwhile. And besides, it's not really an equation, you know."

Sisko lifted his eyebrows. "What do you mean, 'it's not really an equation?'"

"It's more of a theorized equation. It can't be proven mathematically, and it hasn't been formally proven by experimentation. Maybe that's what Professor Nguyen is here to do: conduct experiments to see whether Vuldt's Equation holds up in the wormhole."

"So he wants to confirm Vuldt's Equation?"

"Or falsify it. Either result would be highly significant."

Sisko turned to the display. "Computer: show the most common form of Vuldt's Equation." The mathematical soup appeared on the wall display. "Chief, can you explain any of this to me? Can you just give me a layperson's understanding?"

O'Brien took a moment to respond. "I'm sorry; I doubt that I can. I mean, the various numbers over here are presented in Pontus form. That's some pretty heavy-duty mathematics right there."

"What is Pontus form? In ordinary language: what is it?"

O'Brien thought for a moment. "Sir: you're familiar with vectors, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And tensors?"

"Yes, somewhat."

"And complex spaces?"

"I think we've reached the limit of my familiarity, Chief."

"At the risk of over-simplifying the concepts, I'll start with the notion of a vector. You can think of a vector as a number that has two properties: a magnitude and a direction, right?"

"Right."

"Well, a number in Pontus form— in some versions of the Pontus form, that is— has a magnitude, and a direction, and a permanence, and a resilience, and—"

"Just hold it there, Chief. A permanence? A resilience?"

"Yes, sir. I'm going to over-simplify this terribly, but permanence and resilience relate to the propensity of the number to change in response to operations."

Sisko was lost, but he said, "O-o-okay."

O'Brien counted on his fingers as he ticked off the properties of a number in Pontus form. "So a number has a magnitude, a direction, a permanence, a resilience, a recurrence, an exclusion set, a standard spread, and—" He had listed seven properties, but he knew there were eight. "And— one more thing, but I can't remember what it is. Oh! And a dimensional reflectivity. Anyway, the Pontus form incorporates all of those properties, and Pontus operations describe ways in which two numbers in Pontus form, uh, combine or interact."

"I have to tell you, Chief, that I understood almost none of that."

"Well, I got introduced to Pontus operations when I studied warp fields and various force fields and structural integrity fields. But we almost never had to do anything with Pontus operations, since simplified non-Pontus operations give results that are almost as accurate and precise."

Sisko pointed to Vuldt's Equation on the wall display In a somber tone, Sisko asked: "Am I wrong, Chief, in thinking that Pontus operations are just a _part_ of this equation, and that there is more here than that?"

"You are right about that, sir. These operations over there on the right-hand side, set off by that rectangle, I have no idea what they are or what they do. And this notation here on the left-side is totally unfamiliar to me."

"Do you know of anyone aboard this station who might have a little more insight into this subject?"

"Other than Professor Nguyen? I doubt it."

Sisko huffed. "So if Professor Nguyen tells me about an experiment that he wants to conduct, and shows me this equation as explanation, I have no way of knowing whether what he's telling me is true or not, have I?"

"You can ask the computer to check his maths, but that won't tell you the significance of what he's trying to find."

"And so I have no way of knowing whether his proposed experiments are risky or not, do I?"

"Not that I can see."

Sisko pouted. "I wonder whether Admiral Seth and Admiral Ross were in any position to assess the risks, when they authorized Professor Nguyen to go ahead."


	7. Bashir's spare time

Chapter 7: A strange activity in Bashir's spare time.

At seventeen hundred hours, Dr. Julian Bashir, drink in hand, sat down with O'Brien, who also had a drink in hand, at a table in Quark's bar.

O'Brien smirked. "You had to do medical evaluation for all of the new personnel, did you?"

"That I did."

"Tedious, was it?"

"Yes. Quite tedious. I was pleased to report to Commander Sisko that all of them passed their physical examinations. Was your day tedious as well?"

"'Tedious' is not the right word," O'Brien chuckled. "'Frustrating' would be more like it."

"Frustrating? Why?"

"Because Commander Sisko asked me to explain something to him called 'Vuldt's Equation'; and I couldn't do it."

Bashir shrugged dismissively. "Well, it _is_ a difficult equation to understand."

O'Brien wasn't sure he'd heard what he'd just heard. "Julian, do you know about Vuldt's Equation?"

"Yes. A little."

O'Brien was stunned. "Do they teach Vuldt's Equation in medical school?"

"No, not really. I've heard it might come up in some advanced studies of biochemical interactions, though."

"Is that where you heard of it, in studying Biochemistry?"

"No."

"Well, Julian, where did you hear of it?"

Bashir looked at his drink, then looked at O'Brien. "This is just between you and me, all right? When I was studying Pre-Med Physics, I met a young lady, and I became rather interested in her. She was studying Advanced Physics. The time came when I asked her out to dinner, and during that dinner, the subject of Vuldt's Equation came up. I had never heard of it, but she was obsessed with it. And since I had taken a fancy to this young lady, and since I wanted to engage her in conversation, I started learning about Vuldt's Equation, so that when we talked, I wouldn't sound like a total fool. We had about a dozen dinner dates, and we talked about the equation, and a few other things, and then she was assigned to Starbase Forty. I never saw her after that. That's the entire story. After she left, I never had another thought about Vuldt's Equation, until you mentioned it a few moments ago."

"You learned about Vuldt's Equation on your own, then? You didn't take any classes, is that right?"

"Yes. I just read up on it in my spare time."

O'Brien wondered how any man could be so taken with any lady that he would go to all the trouble to learn about Vuldt's Equation in his "spare time." O'Brien looked Bashir in the eye. "Julian, do you think you could help Commander Sisko? He has to deal with the meaning of Vuldt's Equation, as it relates to the wormhole."

"As it relates to the wormhole?"

"Yes. Do you remember Commissioner Nguyen from the _Observer_ incident? Well, he's Professor Nguyen now, and he's come back to DS9 to study the wormhole. He's going to do experiments to see whether Vuldt's Equation can describe or predict what the wormhole will do."

Bashir seemed frozen, and then after a long pause, he spoke in a very low voice. "Yes, I think I had better talk with Commander Sisko."


	8. Bashir's warning

Chapter 8: Bashir's warning.

The next morning, Bashir found Sisko in his office.

"What can I do for you, Doctor?"

"Sir, it has come to my attention that Professor Nguyen, formerly Commissioner Nguyen, is aboard this station."

"That is true; but he is not here in connection with anything pertaining to the USS _Observer_."

"I understand he is here to conduct experiments on the wormhole."

"That's right."

"And he is here to see whether Vuldt's Equation offers an accurate description of the real-life activity of the wormhole."

"You've been speaking with Lieutenant Dax or Chief O'Brien, I take it?"

"With Miles, yes. And after speaking with Miles, I thought I ought to tell you, sir, that there may be some... _hazards_ in Professor Nguyen's experiments. Hazards that he may not realize."

Sisko stroked his chin. Bashir was delivering him a warning, and there was no denying the earnestness in Bashir's voice. Whatever was going on, it was no joke. "How is it, Doctor, that you happen to have—"

"— Some familiarity with Vuldt's Equation? It involves making conversation on a date with a young lady, sir. Long story, sir."

Sisko decided not to pursue that line of inquiry any further. "Julian, let's sit down with Dax and O'Brien, and you can explain to us what these 'hazards' might be."


	9. Bashir's explanation

Chapter 9: Bashir's explanation.

In a meeting room, Sisko, Dax, and O'Brien sat around a table, while Bashir stood and addressed them.

"As I have already explained to Commander Sisko, I'm certainly no expert on Vuldt's Equation; but I have had the pleasure of discussing some of the more intriguing aspects of Vuldt's Equation with a person who understands the equation very well. So, where to start? I prefer not to start with the equation itself; the equation is very, _very_ difficult to understand and almost as difficult to explain in lay terms."

"Now, that's an understatement," remarked O'Brien, without any hint of mirth.

"And I ought to stress," continued Bashir, "that the equation is not yet universally accepted as valid within the scientific community. And the main reason that it is not universally accepted as valid is this: Vuldt's Equation, if valid, suggests a number of physical phenomena that are, to put it mildly, rather strange. Even absurd."

Dax interrupted with a question. "The computer directed me to an article in which a physicist was quoted as saying that Vuldt's Equation had been extensively put to the test and was deemed to be in harmony with what was observed in the physical cosmos. Was the article right about that?"

Bashir nodded. "Yes, there is truth in that. The equation has stood the test of time so far, in that it has not been shown to be incorrect or significantly inaccurate when predicting physical effects. I hasten to point out, however, that the tests and instruments used to date have been incapable of controlling all variables or precisely measuring various parameters."

"Meaning what?" Sisko wondered.

"Meaning that the right experiments might further support Vuldt's Equation, or those same experiments might invalidate it in whole or in part." Bashir looked Sisko in the eye. "I suspect that the reason that Professor Nguyen wants to perform his experiments at the wormhole is that the wormhole represents a natural laboratory that he has not been able to find elsewhere. Certain variables can be controlled or measured at the wormhole, which could not be controlled or measured anywhere else."

"And you think, Doctor," drawled Sisko, "that I ought to give serious consideration to preventing him from using that natural laboratory."

"Depending on what his experiments are, there may be some serious safety issues, sir."

"Such as?"

Bashir took his time before answering. "As you recall, I said that Vuldt's Equation suggests or predicts several physical phenomena that are strange or even absurd. Let me give you one example: Vuldt's Equation predicts that it may be possible to travel anywhere in the universe in virtually no time at all, without energy-matter transportation. That is, it is possible for a material object to achieve near-infinite speed. Furthermore, the equation predicts that the energy cost of such speed is below what we now use to achieve warp five."

"Impossible!" scoffed O'Brien.

"Vuldt's Equation suggests it _is_ possible," Bashir countered. "It only _seems_ to be impossible because of the enormous practical difficulties associated with doing it. We would have to control energy and warp fields far more precisely than we do, and we would have to 'isolate our proper frame' within the meaning of the equation. Never mind what that means; just suffice it to say that we do not have the technology to do it."

Bashir saw Sisko about to ask a question, but Bashir decided to answer before it was asked. "I do not think that near-infinite speed is what Professor Nguyen would be likely to test, however. More likely, he'd want to test how stable the wormhole actually is."

"What would Vuldt's Equation predict about the wormhole's stability, if anything?" Sisko asked. "My understanding was that the wormhole was already shown to be stable, and that it would continue to exist indefinitely unless disturbed by outside forces."

"This is difficult to describe," Bashir responded slowly. "Vuldt's Equation may quantify the stability of the wormhole in response to specified impulse disturbances. The disturbances produce a response, which if Vuldt's Equation is valid, yield data that pertain to wormhole stability. That data, once yielded, can be independently validated, and if validated, Vuldt's Equation has passed another major test."

"And if not validated, then what?" Sisko wondered. "Vuldt's Equation is wrong?"

"Possibly wrong, perhaps just incomplete. But if the data get validated, the potential consequences could be staggering. Professor Nguyen could, in theory, acquire data from this wormhole that would allow him to build another wormhole, anywhere he chose, bridging any two places in the universe."

"That would be _very_ valuable data to have," Dax observed with a note of awe.

"Yes. And our wormhole would seem to be the only place in the galaxy where such measurements could be made, and such data could be acquired, as far as we know. Getting that data can be problematic, however. Our current model of the wormhole takes into account high concentrations of verteron particles, organized in verteron nodes, which in theory make the wormhole stable. Now, measuring various phenomena at the Gamma Quadrant entrance and at the Alpha Quadrant entrance can be readily accomplished because the verteron concentrations in our wormhole allow those measurements to be coordinated. That's good news, but there is a down side. The verteron nodes will also skew the measurements."

"You're saying that the verterons make the measurements possible, but that they also make the measurements inaccurate?" Dax asked.

"Yes; but the inaccuracies can be compensated for. In particular, the effects of the verterons can normalized."

Bashir paused. He could see that his audience was on the verge of being lost.

Presently he continued. "Vuldt's Equation predicts a way to normalize verterons arrayed in a wormhole. This method of normalizing involves orthogonal reflection, which would cancel out the particles' effects on the collected measurements."

Sisko spoke. "I am not following this very well. Nevertheless, I think I see what you're driving at, Doctor. If Professor Nguyen tries to counteract the effects of the verterons, he might end up damaging the mechanism that makes the wormhole stable. He might collapse the wormhole; maybe even destroy it."

"I'm afraid, sir, that it may be even worse than that. Vuldt's Equation predicts that normalization in this fashion would create a condition, localized to the wormhole, called 'null time.' When a null time region is created, within that region, there is no time." Bashir paused for effect. "That means, sir, that inside the wormhole there is no present, no past, and no future."

Sisko shuddered when he realized the import of what Bashir had just said.

"The Prophets!" Sisko exclaimed. "His experiments would destroy the Prophets!"


	10. Two direct questions

Chapter 10: Two direct questions.

Nguyen entered Sisko's office, flanked by a young woman and a young man.

"Ah, Professor, thank you for coming."

"Commander, I'd like to introduce you to my two assistants, who will be helping me in my project," Nguyen began, smiling. "That is Judy Zurich, and this is Gil Francisco." Zurich and Francisco stepped forward to shake Sisko's hand.

"A belated welcome to Deep Space Nine," he offered diplomatically.

With a gesture, and a curt, "The two of you may return to what you were doing," Nguyen dismissed his two assistants. Sisko and Nguyen sat.

"Professor, I wanted to ask you how things are going."

"Smoothly, I'd say."

"Any problems with storage?"

"No, no."

"Are station personnel being helpful?"

"Oh, goodness, yes!"

"Are your quarters okay? Do the replicators serve up your favorite food and beverages?"

"We have no complaints."

"Any idea when you'll be planning to start conducting your experiments?"

"We expect we could be ready to begin preliminary activities in three or four days."

"You mentioned you were going to draw up a schedule of experiments for me. Do you have your schedule ready?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't."

"Ah. Well, I would like to review your schedule before you begin _any_ experiments."

The grave tone of Sisko's voice made Nguyen suspicious. "Of course, Commander."

"And, since I will need to make note of the experiments in my station log, I wonder whether you could give me a general explanation of what your experiment is, what equipment or apparatus is going to be used, what you think you might be trying to learn, and what the side effects of the experiment might be, if any."

Nguyen stared at Sisko for a few seconds, before speaking again. "I would like to put a direct question to you, Commander, and I would greatly appreciate a direct answer. Are you going to stop me from conducting my experiments?"

Sisko stared right back at Nguyen. "At this time, Professor Nguyen, no. But I do want to know what you're planning to do with the wormhole."

"I want to be clear about this: I won't hurt the wormhole in any way. Some top physicists have reviewed my proposals, and there is a complete consensus that nothing I plan to do will have any permanent adverse effect on the wormhole."

"Professor, I always understood 'experiments' as being actions where the outcome was not known with certainty. The outcome could be hypothesized, of course, but in the case of a true experiment, the actual outcome might not be what was expected."

"That's true, in a sense," Nguyen answered slowly. "But in this case, I have already had to prove to Admiral Seth's satisfaction that my experiments will do no harm. And although I may be presumptuous to say so, Admiral Seth would not have authorized me to come here, if she thought there was any chance that I might harm the wormhole."

 _The good professor is becoming a tad defensive_ , Sisko thought.

Nguyen continued: "Perhaps I ought to ask Admiral Seth to contact you to explain that the most educated minds have determined— _unanimously_ determined, I might add— that none of what I plan to do will have any chance of damaging the wormhole!"

Though Nguyen's voice had been rising, Sisko's voice stayed even. "Are you planning any experiments in which verteron particles are to be normalized within the wormhole?"

Nguyen was thunderstruck. _"Where did you hear that?"_

"Never mind where I heard it. Are you?"

"Yes. Verterons have to be normalized, otherwise they'll distort the measurements we're trying to make. But normalization lasts only a fraction of a second, and the effects will not be permanent. Once we discontinue normalization, the verterons will return to their previous states."

Sisko rose and began pacing around his office. "Professor, my title here is 'Station Commander,' and that title has been conferred upon me by Starfleet. Among the local Bajorans, however, I have another title, one _they_ have conferred upon me. That title is 'Emissary.'"

Nguyen understood at once. "You're worried about the wormhole aliens."

"The Bajorans call them 'The Prophets.' They reside in the wormhole."

"My experiments will not affect them in the slightest. And I'm so certain of that, that I'll tell you this: whenever I conduct an experiment in the wormhole, I personally plan to be in the wormhole myself. I have no intention of exposing myself to any unreasonable risks. And if my experiments won't hurt _me_ , they won't hurt the Prophets, either."

"What would happen to you if you were exposed to null time?"

Once again, Nguyen was thunderstruck. "I can tell you have done your homework, Commander! I am _very_ impressed! Surprised as all hell, but nevertheless impressed."

"Thank you. What would happen to you if you were exposed to null time?"

"Nothing. Nothing! I can say this with total confidence, because this very thing has been tested, dozens of times. Creation of a null time region would have no adverse effect upon me, even if I were in the middle of it. Nor would it have any adverse effect upon any other living being. If you and I were placed in a null time region right now, we wouldn't even notice it. So if I were to be inside the wormhole when its interior became a null time region, time would cease to exist for me momentarily; but I have no reference by which I could know that, and the effect is so brief that it is totally harmless and imperceptible. This is because null time preserves momentum and displacement and boundary conditions along the null time envelope."

Sisko paced. He did not understand much of what Nguyen had just said, but his demeanor was that of a man who understood it all. "But you and I are linear beings. We experience linear time."

"And—?" Nguyen didn't see the point.

Sisko continued. "The Prophets do not experience linear time. They exist simultaneously in the past and the present and the future. If you place them in null time, what will happen to them? What will happen to them when the past, the present, and the future cease to exist for them?"

"Nothing, I assume, Commander, since the effect is of very short duration and is only temporary," Nguyen stammered, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"But to say that something is temporary implies a sense of linear time," Sisko urged gently. "Professor: you once asked me a direct question and requested a direct answer. I now have a direct question for you. Can you _guarantee_ that that the Prophets will not be affected by the experiments you plan to perform?"

Nguyen sat silent. He would not look at Sisko. Eventually he said, "Commander, this wormhole represents the only known place in the galaxy where we can test these theories."

"That is not an answer to the question I asked. Can you guarantee that the Prophets will not be affected?"

"Admiral Seth approved this project. Other Starfleet people did as well. It is an important research project!"

Sisko put a little more heft in his voice. "That is not an answer, either." Sisko took a PADD from his desk and showed it to Nguyen. The PADD displayed the memo signed by Admirals Seth and Ross. "Admiral Seth may have authorized you to come here, but she also authorized me to, and I quote, 'prevent or terminate any experiments that may do any harm to Deep Space Nine, or the wormhole, or any life forms in or near the wormhole,' unquote. The Prophets qualify as 'life forms in or near the wormhole.' Can you guarantee that they will not be harmed? Can you guarantee it?"

Nguyen considered his answer for more than thirty seconds.

"I— I— I do not know whether I can." After a few moments, Nguyen quietly added, "It most certainly has never been my intent to harm _any_ life forms."

Sisko sat down at his desk and spoke calmly. "Then, by the authority granted to me by this authorization, and as Station Commander, and as Emissary of the Prophets, I hereby refuse you permission to conduct any experiments on, in or near the wormhole. I will notify Admiral Seth and Admiral Ross of my decision and the reasons for it. In the event that you acquire evidence that leads you to believe that you can guarantee the safety and well-being of the Prophets, then you may petition to have my refusal reconsidered."


	11. A strange coincidence?

Chapter 11: A strange coincidence?

Bashir was standing with O'Brien, overlooking the Promenade.

"So, Professor Nguyen is gone?" Bashir asked.

"Yes, he is. We loaded his cargo aboard the _Lion's Gate_ , and he and his staff departed at oh-eight hundred. _Lion's Gate_ will drop him off at the Daystrom Institute at Rigel. He asked me to say good-bye, and good luck, to you and Dax from him."

"Nice of him to do that. I'll wager he's disappointed by Commander Sisko's decision."

"'Disappointed' would be a mild way of putting it. When he tried to appeal to Admiral Seth, and Admiral Seth sided with Commander Sisko, Professor Nguyen was crushed. He had such high hopes for his experiments here. He was hoping that he'd make a big splash with his work. You know, this is just a hunch, but I don't think he came here looking for data to build new wormholes. Instead, I suspect that he was hoping that he'd find something that showed that Vuldt's Equation was plainly wrong."

"So I guess we'll just have to keep guessing whether Vuldt's Equation is valid, won't we? Can we stand the stress of not knowing?" Bashir smiled to confirm that he was speaking in jest.

"You know, that reminds me, Julian. This lady friend of yours: you and she must have had some pretty bizarre discussions over dinner. Vuldt's Equation, wormholes, verterons, null time."

Bashir chuckled and nodded. "Yes, we did."

"Quite a coincidence, wasn't it, that you and this, er, _unidentified_ young lady just happened to discuss, in ridiculously complicated and highly theoretical terms, the exact problem with Vuldt's Equation that we faced these past days?"

Bashir turned to look at O'Brien. "Now that you mention it, it does seem to be a strange coincidence."


	12. A visit to the Prophets

Chapter 12: A visit to the Prophets.

Sisko piloted the runabout _Rio Grande_ into the wormhole. He adjusted the attitude of his craft, and presently became aware that his consciousness was in the Celestial Temple.

 _He had to know._

Before him stood a Prophet, manifested as Dax.

"Your concern is unjustified," "Dax" said. "The danger never was, is, or would be."

"I felt that I, as your Emissary, had a duty to advocate for you," Sisko explained. "I did not know whether Professor Nguyen's experiments would harm you or not. I chose to err on the safe side."

"What is, 'the safe side?'" inquired a Prophet, manifested as Kira.

"It means that, I did not know whether the creation of null time inside the Celestial Temple would hurt you, so I chose to prevent such creation until I could obtain such knowledge."

A Prophet manifested as Bashir answered. "In the realm of the Celestial Temple, what you call null time is for us nonexistence."

" _Nonexistence_? You mean, you would _die_?"

"Bashir" answered, "We would not die for we never exist at all."

"Then what you're saying is, the experiments _would_ have harmed you! Null time _would_ have terminated your existence!"

"Your expression is unrefined," intoned a Prophet manifested as O'Brien. "A more refined expression, in your understanding, would be to recognize this: the fact that we exist means that the experiments are not conducted."

Sisko was bewildered for a moment, then found himself thinking that what he'd been told made sense, in a strange way. From the Prophets' points of view, it wasn't that the existence of the Prophets could be terminated by the experiments; it was that the experiments were terminated by the existence of the Prophets.

But no matter how you looked at it, null time _was_ inconsistent with the Prophets' existence.

So he'd made the right decision, not to allow null time in the wormhole. He'd thought he'd exercised his free will in making his decision, but the Prophets seemed to think that his decision was a pre-ordained event.

 _Either way, it was the right thing to do._

Sisko smiled. "I— I think I understand."

"Kira" said: "And we believe we understand as well; and we find it fitting to express to you gratitude for 'advocating' for us."

THE END


	13. Notes

Notes: The ability truly to see the future is in conflict with the notion of free will. Sisko believes he made informed choices of his own free will, but the Prophets see it as him having no choice at all. For a further exploration of this troubling question, study "Newcomb's Paradox" and decide for yourself what choice you would make.


End file.
